Are you being told that money, gold, or other property being shipped or carried into the United States is being held by customs — and that you need to pay fees, taxes, or fines before it will be released? Are you the intended recipient of a large sum of cash or gold from someone you met online or have never met in person?
If so, you are almost certainly being scammed. This page explains how these scams work, how to recognize them, and what to do if you are not sure.
How the Scam Works
Every call I have received on this topic has involved someone being defrauded. The scenarios vary, but the structure is almost always the same: someone is supposedly sending you a large amount of money, gold, or valuables — for investment, as a donation, as an inheritance, or as a gift from a romantic partner — and the shipment or person is being “held” by customs, a shipping company, or law enforcement until you pay to release it.
The payment demanded is framed as a shipping fee, customs duty, tax, bond, fine, or legal fee. Sometimes there are multiple payment demands — first $1,000, then another $2,500, then more — each with a new reason why the property still cannot be released. In every case, there is no property. There is no shipment. There is no person being detained. There is only someone trying to extract money from you.
Common variations include:
- A person from another country — often someone you met online and have a romantic relationship with — is traveling to the United States with cash or gold and is supposedly being detained by customs until you pay taxes or fees on their behalf.
- A package containing cash, gold, or valuables is being shipped to you and is being held by a courier or customs company pending payment of clearance fees or duties.
- You are receiving an unexpected inheritance from a distant relative or foreign benefactor, and the funds cannot be released until you pay legal or administrative fees.
- An official-looking notification arrives by email or phone — sometimes with forged CBP letterhead, fake case numbers, or impersonated government email addresses — demanding immediate payment to resolve a customs hold or penalty.
Snopes has documented a typical version of this scenario in their article on the Package Pick-up Scam — their conclusion is exactly what you would expect.
How the Real CBP Process Actually Works
Understanding how CBP actually operates makes it much easier to identify a scam. When CBP seizes property, detains a traveler, or assesses a penalty or duty, they generate formal written documentation — a Notice of Seizure, a duty bill, or a notice of penalty — sent by mail to the address on file. CBP does not call you and demand immediate payment over the phone. CBP does not email you and ask for a wire transfer. CBP does not release seized property or detained travelers in exchange for payments made to a third party or a personal account.
If you have received a genuine CBP notice, it will arrive by certified mail on official government letterhead, reference specific statutory violations, provide a formal case or FPF number, and direct you to respond through official CBP channels with a specific mailing address and contact information. A real CBP notice does not ask you to wire money, pay via gift card, or send payment to an individual.
Scammers posing as @CBP officers & agents are demanding payment from unsuspecting fraud victims.
— DFO Christopher Perry (@DFODetroit) September 27, 2022
NEVER give out your personal financial info over the phone to anyone claiming they’re from the government demanding payment under threat of arrest. Learn more: https://t.co/j8Kz9cfUGv pic.twitter.com/9xIJ9PsODK
How to Assess Whether You Are Being Scammed
Ask yourself the following questions honestly:
- How well do you know the person sending you the money or gold? Have you met them in person? Can you verify their identity independently — not through information they provided to you?
- Why are they sending you money or valuables? Unsolicited large sums from people you have never met in person — regardless of the stated reason — are a red flag.
- Who is supposedly holding the money? If it is a government agency, does the communication come from an official .gov email address? Anyone can create an email that looks official using a .com or .us domain.
- Are you being asked to pay immediately? Pressure for immediate payment — especially via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift cards — is a hallmark of fraud. Legitimate government agencies do not demand payment this way.
- Have the payment demands escalated? Multiple rounds of payment requests, each with a new reason the property still cannot be released, is a definitive sign of a scam.
- Is there emotional pressure involved? Scammers often exploit romantic relationships or family connections to lower your guard and increase your sense of urgency.
The Emotional Dimension — Why These Scams Work
These scams are effective because they are sophisticated and because they target people who have genuine emotional attachments — to a romantic partner, a family member, or the hope of a financial windfall. The scammers invest significant time building relationships and producing convincing documentation, including forged CBP notices, fake bank letters, fabricated court documents, and official-looking shipping receipts. By the time the payment demands begin, the victim’s judgment has been compromised by trust, affection, or excitement.
If someone you care about is involved, it is worth getting an independent assessment before paying anything — not because your instincts are necessarily wrong, but because the consequences of being wrong in the other direction are severe. People have lost tens of thousands of dollars to these scams, and the money is almost never recoverable once it has been wired or transferred.
Where to Report the Scam
If you are in the United States and believe you are being targeted by one of these scams, you can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center:
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
You can also report it to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general’s office. If the scammer is impersonating CBP specifically, CBP has its own fraud reporting mechanism through its website.
Get an Independent Assessment
Not everyone can evaluate these situations on their own — especially when there are emotional stakes involved. We offer consultations to assess whether a demand for payment for money, gold, or property supposedly being held by customs or a shipping company is genuine or fraudulent.
The consultation includes up to one hour of review of any documents, emails, or communications you have received, plus a telephone call. Our consultation fee is $1,000, charged after the consultation is complete. You will be asked to sign a short fee agreement and provide payment information before the consultation begins.
If the situation is genuine, the consultation will give you confidence in how to proceed. If you are being scammed, it could save you thousands of dollars and a great deal of grief. Contact us using the options on this page to schedule a consultation.